Bet You Can't
by The Werewolf Mage
Summary: Gen makes a bet with Snape that he cannot go a day without saying “Mudblood”. Who's going to win this? Probably nobody.


Title: Bet You Can't

Summary: Gen makes a bet with Snape that he cannot go a day without saying "Mudblood". Who's going to win this? Probably nobody.

Note: I was re-reading the first chapter of 'James Potter, Nature Expert', going to update with a chapter on Filch, but what I wrote about Snape saying not being able to go a day without saying 'Mudblood' gave me this idea. I just enjoy writing them together. I need to do something with them in their late teens-early twenties, when he's all EvilDeathEaterOMG! And she's all extremely smitten with Remus. And James can be all OMFGGETAWAYFROMHERGREASY! And yeah, I'm hyper today.

This didn't really go as I wanted it to, but I still love it. So nyah.

Settled in the dimly lit living room at Spinner's End was one Severus Snape, owner of the house, and the one woman he hated more than anything, Gwendolyn Moore. More commonly referred to as Gen, but he called her Gwendolyn more often than not to spite her.

He was eying her warily, as she was on her third glass of wine and once drunk, she would take to insulting him, his hygiene mostly, and trying to get him to go a Muggle hairdresser.

She seemed to be waiting for him to speak first. Speaking was not exactly what he had in mind.

He muttered something softly, the only thing that he made sure she heard was the word "Mudblood."

"You know," she began, sitting her glass down and eying him, "I'm just curious... but what is the average amount of times you say that in a day?"

Snape cocked his head slightly and stared at her but did not reply.

"I mean," she continued, "it doesn't seem like you can go a day without uttering that, oh, a half dozen times? More?"

"I don't see it as your business, Gwendolyn." Snape said coldly.

"But it's almost always directed at me." she said. "And I do think it my business. And... I'm quite interested in making a bet with you."

"Oh?" Snape did not sound interested.

"Oh yes. I will bet that you cannot go a day without saying Mudblood. Once." She looked satisfied, as if she knew that this could not be pulled off.

"And what is in it for me?" he asked, still sounded very uninterested.

"I will..." she paused to think. "I will stop making fun of your hair and trying to get you to a hairdresser."

Snape considered this. He did want her to quit. And he was under orders to not harm her. And yet, a day with her, to make sure he did not utter the slur of 'Mudblood'... that might be too much.

Oh, but the thought of her leaving him be! That was too much. He finally nodded his head, not feeling up to shaking hands in agreement.

"Good." Gen smiled "I'll see you in the morning. I hope you enjoy your day of kindness."

From the time she left until the time he went to sleep, Snape wondered what he had just gotten himself into. Knowing her, she would not make it easy on him.

And she did not. She showed up bright and early, clad in Muggle street clothes. And she seemed to be quite cheerful.

"No shower this morning?" she asked with a smirk. "Come on, Snivvy. Wash that greasy hair. You don't want people to stare at it, now do you?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" Snape demanded, his black eyes narrowing.

"We are going -- "

"No where." Snape said hotly. "You are not dragging me to anything relating to Muggles."

"Why?" she asked with a smirk. "Afraid you may... resort to old habits?" She began to laugh while he pulled out his wand. She shook her head without a word.

Scowling, he pocketed his wand. "I will not," he told her, "leave this place with you." It seemed as though he felt like giving up their little bet, but he kept his calm.

"Becalm yourself, Snivvy."

"Stop calling me that."

Gen merely half-shrugged and said, "I was just wondering... I mean, since you seem fine living in this... somewhat Muggle existence, then you wouldn't mind going out and seeing things from a Muggle aspect."

"No." Snape flat out refused. It was one thing to have a Muggleborn in his house. But to have her drag him out and act like a Muggle? He would definitely be in for it, then.

"Not even an hour?" she asked him.

He glared at her from behind his curtain of greasy black hair. It seemed they were going to stare each other down all day. But Gen spoke again.

"You know, keeping yourself quiet all day will not work."

Snape seemed to find it to work just fine. If he could not insult her, then keeping his mouth shut the entire day would be fantastic. Or as close as it could be.

Gen let out a soft murmur before crossing her arms over her chest. Things were not going the way she wanted them to. She, naturally, was trying to goad him into calling her a Mudblood. Mainly because she knew it was not possible for him to keep himself from uttering it. Or thinking it. But she was no Legimens. She had no way of telling if he was thinking 'Mudblood, Mudblood, Mudblood.'

But the look he was giving her might have been some sort of indication. She smirked and leaned back against the wall, trying not to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

She was staring him down without really realizing it. In all actuality, she was deep in thought and had completely forgotten where she was.

"What do you want?" he demanded of her, getting to his feet.

"Huh?" she snapped back to attention and looked momentarily surprised. Then she smiled sweetly. "I want you to lose this bet."

Snape scoffed. That he could have figured out on his own. There was no doubt in his mind Gwendolyn Moore got pleasure out of teasing and taunting him as her fellow Gryffindors James Potter and Sirius Black had. And no doubt she got it from them.

"Hmm." The thought made him even more determined to prove her wrong.

"Where would we go?" he asked her, silently hoping for anything but a salon.

"Just out and about." she shrugged. "You know, walking the streets, interacting with Muggles. That sort of thing."

"For how long?" Snape was not sure he could do it for an hour, much less longer.

"Until whenever."

Snape stared at her. But he reluctantly agreed to go. And refused to dress like a Muggle. She could not make him. And he surely did not care what they thought of him.

She seemed at home a few minutes later as they joined a rushing crowd of Muggles, no doubt heading to lunch. "Want lunch?" Gen asked smugly. She had plans to make him pay if they had lunch.

"No." Snape said bitterly.

"You know something?" Snape made a noise that she took to mean 'shut up', but she finished her question. "I would have thought you would be melted by now."

Snape looked at her out of the corner of his eye. What was she talking about?

"I mean, you and sunlight..." she trailed off laughing.

He glared at her, but firmly kept his mouth shut. He would not let her win. He could not let her win. He would never hear the end of it.

There was a moment, a point where he was getting close to snapping, when she left him for a moment o two. He scowled and waited for her return. She came back, calmly sipping something out of a cheap plastic cup.

"Want to go home?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes." he hissed.

"Well, too bad." she giggled.

That would be Snape's breaking point. "Listen, you silly little Mudblood, this is insane. I am not Muggle, I do not want to be around them. And I do not want to be around you."

Gen watched as he ducked into an alley and heard the sound of him Disapparating.

"Ah," she sighed softly, sipping her drink, "one for me, about a thousand for Snape. I still have some catching up to do. And he will be seeing my stylist soon."


End file.
